TRADERS: What is the most annoying thing interns do?
Pretty much says it all--I'll be a summer analyst at a BB this summer and want to know what not to do! Thanks!
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Particularly for me, I had an intern who kept asking me the same thing over and over again and I had repeat myself. I mean I don't mind helping you but just don't waste my time. It showed me that the individual doesn't pay attention and his mind wanders off. Always takes note, I actually had to remind this individual to take notes next time, so he doesn't ask me the same thing. Ridiculous.
Also, try to add 2 + 2 together. If I tell you something and you come back asking me a question that is kind of related. You're not thinking through. Don't look stupid answering your own question...
Last but not least, don't be cocky. I understand you want to be humorous to get on our good side, but chill out with the jokes. You're an intern... We had this one guy and he was interacting with us like we were his best friends and he was only with us for a month... I actually had to tell this guy on the side and say "You need to chill out with the jokes".
I think most of these unwritten rules apply to most internships, regardless of field. It's so exasperating repeating something to someone, simply because it shows you weren't paying attention.
The value of taking notes cannot be understated. I had an analyst that would ask me the same simple questions over and over. It ended up being super annoying. For my first job I had a note book that was filled cover to cover, after a while I did not need it, but if something came up out of the blue I had a reference 99% of the time.
Man, you sound like a little bitch to work with.
lol did he get an offer?
Sorry -- won't disclose that.
Why not? You disclosed everything else about the person lol
Seriously getting monkey shit for not disclosing? Does it matter whether I say yes or no? My answer won't change your life. I told you what not to do, simple and done. Jesus Christ.
I know this is only really applicable to commodities, but having warehouses tell you they agreed to a new set of rates with an intern you'd completely forgotten about is a fun one.
that's absolutely hilarious
Somewhat related to an earlier post...
Don't volunteer your opinions on professional subjects (express them, if you're asked to do so, but not otherwise). If you've expressed an opinion, don't, above all, try to argue to prove to everyone why you're right and they are wrong.
There is nothing more annoying than spending time explaining things to a stubborn intern, who has no understanding of the proper context to appreciate what they might be missing.
On a similar note, if you have a view that is in-line with consensus, don't take any more than 30 seconds to express or explain it.
My pet peeve is interns or juniors who make a passionate, elaborate three minute speech on something that everyone already knows / is the consensus view.
My favorite one involved this guy who was a smart kid. Problem was he knew it and made sure everyone else did. I also suspect he took the whole Liar's Poker image a bit too much to heart.
He strolls into the office on a Tuesday sometime during his second month, looking bright eyed and bushy tailed and playing up to his usual persona of a BSD which most of use tended to ignore. Anyways he walks up to a female junior traders desk (a lady who is both visually and mentally strong) lest call her Trader K, puts his arm around her chair and apparently asks her if she is interested in drinks this evening. She said yes. She then proceeded to brief me over a sandwich at lunch and that I should arrive at the same bar as she had some fun and games planed.
Said guys acts like he is king of the world for the day. I leave the office at around 10pm or so and arrive at the bar where I see said intern pissed out of his mind and Trader K looking much more in control. I walk up to their table and order a round, apparently Trader K had the kid drinking at a rate of 3:1. By about midnight he was destroyed, no way was he going to be in at 6am so we continued to a club where both I and trader K went easy on the booze but the kid was still knocking it back like there was no tomorrow. His drunken flirting was priceless, so was the fact he insisted on buying every round at the club. At about 3am we put him in a cab and go to our respective homes.
I got into the office early the next day and found Trader K, who showed me a list of drunken texts she received (On her work bb!). She also rather kindly left a small bottle of whiskey on the kids desk who was nowhere to be seen. At about 11am he arrives in and she goes full physco on him, saying he got sick on her, spilled drinks etc. Destroyed the guy while the rest of us held back laughter. He sees the booze on his desk and breaks for the bathroom.
Returns about a half hour later when the desk is pretty busy and is still good for shit. He contributes nothing for the day and at about 6pm, Trader K comes over and asks him out for drinks again and opens the small bottle of whiskey on his desk so he can smell it. He proceeds to get sick in the bin and run for the bathroom once again while the desk erupts in laughter.
Morel of the story, please don't try and be a BSD when you can't hold your booze and go completely crazy on a work night! And don't chat up cp-workers, doesn't end well.
Epic, don't know why you got MS for that. Maybe he peruses WSO.
No comment.
Banking, not trading, but an easy one, although it happens every year, don't delete the comps file.
Even easier, don't delete the Clients folder (i.e.: the shared team folder where every book is saved for every client).
As much as you'd think the analysts would appreciate the hour off while they wait for IT to recover the files, they tend to get really pissed when they have to revert to an old comps file, or redo work that's been done.
Do not try to tell me I am wrong unless you are ACTUALLY on the other side of a trade and your paycheck depends on it.
I think you're wrong on this one (can't help but enjoy the irony on this). It's awful for a super green kid to arrogantly trumpet his opinion, but I always welcome being told I'm wrong. Kid just needs to do it with proper respect and humility. You're leaving money on the table if you don't allow direct and critical feedback, regardless of the source
While I genuinely appreciate curiosity, there was once an intern who would follow his "sure will do" with "what is the rationale behind this?". Every. Fucking. Time. Do not do this. It even got to the point where we were all getting drinks and he asked again about the rationale behind scrubbing comps or some dumb shit like that.
Second a point made earlier, do not ever ask me the same question twice. If I explained it to you once, either take notes, or remember it, both completely fine, but pick one and embrace it.
simply put... i hate the rich kid with connections intern. We had 2 interns at one point. One was doing legal work and was a very bright ambitious guy. The other's uncle knew the ceo and had traded at the pit with him. Dude acted like a total bro the whole time, would reference at lunch how he didn't really want this internship but it was stepping stone.... then went on to talk about all the other connections his family had and could get him with goldman/ a few top tier mid markets banks for m&a. Zero ambition, but was gonna be a big success anyway.
What happened to the rich kid?
went back to school so he could study abroad, then probably got another internship in his Junior year. Basically made me realize i need to get rich or die trying.
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I actually don't mind being asked the same thing twice. Assuming you aren't coming back 15 minutes after explaining it the first time.
But if you ask me a question day 2 on where to locate a file or how to do something, and on day 35 you come back and ask me again, I really don't feel annoyed.
My pet peeve is the person who tries to tell you they know something better than you. I don't care if you actually do know a million times more about XYZ, but nothing pisses me off more than being spoken down to by someone who is holier than thou.
Well said
Don't use so many fucking exclamation marks... I don't know if it's a generational thing or just an age thing, but it definitely is annoying. I think a lot of young professionals try to use them to show enthusiasm or eagerness or whatever, but trust me, it's unnecessary and annoying.
Thanks!
Lol good one, I think you'll do well on a trading desk. Best of luck, it's an exciting time
Standing behind my back during the market open and admiring the PnL on a good day as if a stack of money just dropped on my keyboard.
No need to clarify on how many levels this is a wrong interpretation of the job, I suppose.
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